HOW TO TAKE PHOTOS WHEN TRAVELLING ALONE

I am an independent-soul: I love my space, I love going to the movies by myself, and I LOVE to travel the world as a single-sister. Unfortunately for me, that results in having to find others to take photos of me, or my holiday snaps end up with a rather large ‘building or scenic shot to photos of me’ ratio!

So, because I am about to embark on a massive soul-searching journey next year, I have been practising the best ways to take photos when travelling alone, and thought I would share some of them with you.

FIND A CAMERA THAT HAS A FULLY ARTICULATING SCREEN SO YOU CAN SELFIE IT UP!

If you’ve got a face, and you are travelling alone, you might as well flaunt it. Photos of buildings are… nice, but photos of you in front of a building (at a slight distance) are even better – and most likely going to be a-hell-of a lot more engaging to the viewer.

I have echoed the awesomeness that is the Olympus PEN E-PL7s’ fully-articulating screen display before, and I will again – cause it is every travellers/and selfie-takers dream. No more shall you be a slave to the ‘snap and pray that your face is in the shot’, you can now snap and KNOW your face is in the shot thanks to the fully-articulating screen, and ability to touch to autofocus and shoot – touch selfie #winning!

Sometimes, the only option is a good, old arm-in-half-the-photo selfie. Sure, a photo taken by someone else might look better, but if you are like me; and have trust issues; handing your $500 + camera to a total stranger in a foreign country just doesn’t scream “safe”, now does it? So my lasses, selfie it up with the Olympus PEN E-PL7 and give me a big thank you smooch later.

TIP – One or two selfies: no problem. But the minute it gets past 5, nadah – that is enough! Also, close-ups of your nostrils are funnily enough not quite as interesting as the Scottish countryside or Croatian coast #JustSayin.

Whilst you might look like a total d!@khead using a selfie stick, it is a convenient tool to take photos of you and your travels, sans the up-close-and-personal vibe some selfies get

IF YOU CAN’T INVEST IN A QUALITY CAMERA WITH A FLIP SCREEN, BUY A SELFIE STICK

Yep, I said it: invest in the selfie stick! Sure, I might regret saying that in a few years time, but for now – it is out there, and I am ready for the onslaught of judgement.

There is much hype and thoughts around these arm extending beauties: I, for one, would just laugh at people when they whipped it out… Until I was given one as a present for Christmas and have been converted. They are actually super unless you are superhuman and have extra lengthy arms!

The only downside to this is if you use your phone for photos, the quality isn’t going to be the best. But, on the flipside, the selfie stick can hold a camera (albeit a little heavy, but a little arm workout never hurt anyone) – so win, win for all!

APP IT UP WITH OLYMPUS IMAGE SHARE

If you have an Olympus camera, the Olympus Image Shareapp is a necessity. It will completely change the way you take photos thanks to the app’s ability to capture images from your Olympus camera (by using it as a remote control), adding art filters, adding GPS tags, and it even shares your images with friends and family (and heck, social media).

For the avid traveller, this makes taking photos a tonne easier because you can ‘live view’ your shot. So, all you have to do is set up your camera on a tripod or anywhere safe, step away and snap: meaning you no longer have to shoot and cross your fingers that you are actually in the shot!

Yep, an app that makes your life a whole lot easier when travelling alone #revolutionary!

It might not be the best photo, but using a rock and a timer ensures I can capture every moment – even the countryside!

USE THE GROUND

Or a table, a wall, a rock… Make use of your environment – it is your best friend when you are travelling solo (and there is nobody around). Plus, you don’t have to worry what people think about you (the worst when others are taking photos of you, you automatically go into smile mode). This way, you can pose up a storm or do whatever makes your heart sing!

TIP – make sure whatever you put the camera on is stable. A cliff edge does not fall into this category.

USE A TRIPOD

Whilst not the most practical in terms of lugging around the extra weight, a tripod is probably one of the better solutions for those who are travelling in less crowded areas, trekking or trying to take action shots (where stability is necessary). Sure, you can just ask others to take a photo of you, but, if there is nobody around, and your surroundings are too uneven to balance a camera on, a tripod is your best solution.

TIP – It is best to avoid using a tripod in busy areas – it is a target for theft. I use my tripod at home to take photos, but will not travel to far with it.

Care you to share your favourite tips for photo taking when alone?

This post was bought to you by Olympus. As with everything, my opinion is always my own.

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A girl with an honest, and sometimes little too over-sharing heart, Lucy has been bitten by the wanderlust bug and aint afraid to show it! She also has a beauty cupboard to rival Carrie Bradshaw’s closet, is a candle hoarder, Nike shoes collector, a Francophile, and lover of fine china. She sometimes likes to wear cat ears whilst roaming around the house listening to trashy music from the 90s!
By day she is a talent manager at a hugely respected modelling agency (managing the careers of some of the most influential people in the UK and across the globe). By night she is curled up on the couch with a good red (and chocolate) enjoying terrible rom-coms and sharing her thoughts on her favourite beauty and lifestyle products on Skeeter and Scout!